Thanks to the huge amounts of snow it regularly receives each winter, Japanâs north island of Hokkaido is high on the wishlist of expert powders skiers and snowboarders. However, its challenging reputation can mean those who are less assured off piste decide to give it a miss. But should confident intermediates really be put off? To find out, last January I set out with a couple of friends to explore three Hokkaido resorts, Rusutsu, Niseko and Furano. We also planned a snow-cat assisted off-piste adventure on the slopes of a former ski resort, Iwanai. The long flight to Hokkaido entails at least one change, but we couldnât have had a smoother start, on a Finnair route launched for winter 2019/20. A sub two hour hop from London to Helsinki is followed by a nine-hour flight to Sapporo, Hokkaidoâs capital. It can save over two hours compared to London-Tokyo-Sapporo â previously the only possible route.